1) Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to producing holes and to the insertion of fittings into these holes, and more specifically relates to a hand tool for punching holes preferably in polythelene irrigation pipes of which there are two types. The one leaves the factory already equipped with drips installed at regular intervals and the second is a so-called plain pipe that has to have the holes punched in it when the pipe is laid out in the field or garden and have the drips installed afterwards. The invention relates substantially to the second type of pipes, although it can be used in connection with the first type as well, when there may be necessity to add holes. The invention also can be used for producing holes in any flexible plastic piping.
2) Description of the Prior Art
In agriculture and gardening the irrigation piping is generally made of polythelene, into which holes of various sizes are punched for the insertion of drippers and sprinklers, and the piping is cut to the required length.
Up till now these processes were executed by separate tools each performing one operation each: a) single-sized hole punch; b) single type inserter tool; c) a pipe length cutter tool; d) a tool for inserting start connectors into the piping.
To this purpose it was necessary to go out to the fields or gardens with a large variety of tools, each tool performing one operation, this being awkward, inconvenient and complicated.